Through the Lens: John F. Kennedy International Airport

For an aviation photographer and/or enthusiast, observing commercial aircraft can be very rewarding. The accessibility to public airports, combined with the variety of aircraft types and liveries, can make commercial aviation enjoyable for everyone.

In our quest to provide coverage of all forms of aviation, we begin 2016 with a look at commercial aviation at one of the busiest international airports in the world.

We continue our “Through the Lens” series with a look at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York…

Words and Photos by Steven Valinski

What was once a golf course situated within the marshlands of Long Island, is now the location of the largest of New York City’s airports.

Construction of what began as New York International Airport, more commonly referred to as Idlewild Airport, started in 1942, with the first commercial flights beginning in 1948. A month after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Today, JFK handles more international traffic than any other airport in North America. Serving more than 26 million passengers a year, JFK ranks 5th in the U.S. in terms of overall passenger traffic. This combination of volume and international traffic makes JFK one of the best airports in the U.S. to observe aircraft.

There are good locations for observation and photography all around JFK, and the variety and volume of aircraft is enough to keep one busy the entire day. The key to a successful day at JFK is often determined by how cooperative the weather will be. Flexibility with scheduling should help overcome any potential poor weather days.

For photography, a good DSLR with a zoom range of 80-400mm covers most shooting locations. The following photos were taken on a single day at JFK using a Nikon D7200 with a Nikon 70-300mm zoom lens.

Steven is from Long Island, New York and now resides in sunny Mesa, Arizona. Steven’s love for aviation began when he was a child with a fascination for WWII aircraft. This love of aviation was further fostered by his uncle, a long-time Trans World Airlines (TWA) employee who had a passion for all forms of aviation.

Steven’s interest in photography began when he was 16 years old when he received his first SLR camera, a Minolta XGA. It makes sense that eventually, his passion for aviation and photography would merge into a love for aviation photography.

In addition to being the web designer, webmaster and chief editor of Aviation Photography Digest, Steven has been published in numerous magazines worldwide.

Steven has an M.S. from Boston University and uses Nikon photographic equipment.